Albert Lovett Wilkins (1892-1928)
}} Biography This is a short partial history of Albert Wilkins and his family, which was originally written by one of his daughters, and is in the possession of some of his descendents. Albert Lovett Wilkins was born January 13, 1892 in Jensen, Utah, USA. He was the second son of Albert William and Mary Ellen Dudley Wilkins. He had a brother, Melvin Wilkins, who was two years older. His mother having been married before, there were two sisters..Hettie and Emma Hollingshead. He had a brother George two years younger, a brother Ertin four years younger, a brother Harlen six years younger, a sister Elsie eleven years younger and another sister Eleanor fourteen years younger. He learned to work very hard very young. Grandpa owned a lot of farm land and also freighted, usually with two wagons hitched together and six horses. I was told that he and Uncle George were put on the freight wagons long before they were big enough to harness their own teams. He went to school in Jensen, Utah, through the eighth grade, more than most boys his age. I have found several report cards and attendance certificates. It seems he was a very willing and able student. As he grew to young manhood he was tall, slim, blue-eyed and blond. Very good looking. He married Leafy Irwin Fletcher in Meeker, Colorado on February 17, 1915. They met at a dance. He was working at that time for Leafy's father. Her father had died the previous November and her mother a few days after they were married. They stayed in Rangley, Colorado for a short time then moved to Jensen, Utah. Leafy's two younger sisters lived with them most of the time until they were married. Their first child, Ruth was born November 27, 1915. She only weighed about four pounds and some of the older people said they would never raise her. Their second child, Ruby was born October 1, 1917. The first son, Lavell was born May 20, 1920. Third daughter, Lulu was born December 20, 1921. The second son, Jean was born November 24, 1923, and their sixth child Helen was born May 28, 1926. All the children were born in Jensen except Lulu, she was born in White River, Colorado, now know as Rangley. Daddy farmed in Rangley, on Brush Creek, and in Jensen at various times. Also continued to drive a freight wagon with his father and brother, George. He helped build roads with horse drawn scrapers and road graders. He also helped build the first bridge across Green River at Jensen, this was also done with horse drawn equipment. He worked in the oil fields at Rangley. At the time of his death he was working at the Rainbow Gilsonite mine. This mine was in the area now known as the Book Cliffs. All there is left to be seen now are a few old foundations and mine shafts. In those days if you needed to go short distances you walked or saddled a horse. If all the family was going you took the team and wagon. There were very few automobiles in Jensen at that time, the late 1920's. Those were mostly Model T Fords or some such make. I can remember my father walking along the road whistling. He was well known for his fine whistling. He had a beautiful singing voice and was a splendid dancer also. I can remember him sitting with all us children and usually our cousins and singing to us such songs as The Bear Went Over the Mountain, Ten Little Indians, Moonlight and Roses, Springtime in the Rockies, The Utah Trail, etc. I can remember my father coming in from the field to eat and putting the wash basin down so we could reach it and wash with him. We didn't have bath rooms in those days, only a water bucket with a dipper to drink from, and a path to the outhouse. The Wilkins family got together in the evenings often to sing. Aunt Elsie played the piano, Daddy and Uncle Harl played little squeeze box accordians. I'm not sure whether any one else played an instrument or not. Every one of them had a good singing voice. The sons in the family called Grandpa "Pap", and Grandma "Ma", the sisters said "Papa", and "Mama". Every one that knew my father said he was honest, hard working, kind, considerate and very loving and affectionate with his family. I remember one time he came home and caught us playing on a neighbors hay stack, he spanked us four older ones, Ruby said "if you cry he'll stop", of course we all cried and he stopped, no one was spanked very hard. Shortly before he died, Ruth fell off the swing at the school and broke her hip, it became infected and Uncle Doug Chew and Grandma Wilkins and Mother took her to Salt Lake City, Utah, to the Primary Childrens Hospital for surgery and treatment. When Daddy kissed her good-by he said "I will never see her again". The adults came home and left her in Salt Lake, Aunt Emma was to take her to her home when she was released. When they got to Jensen, Daddy took us all home in the wagon, the rest of us were left with our aunts. That night he became very ill. Mother sent for Uncle George, he immediately went for Uncle Doug, he being the one with a car. He was taken to Vernal, Utah to the hospital where he was operated on. ::(this is all of this history that I have in my possession) Albert Lovett Wilkins died March 10, 1928 in Vernal, Utah __SHOWFACTBOX__